On 22 December 2022 Airscene had the chance to preview the new exhibition at the Cambridgeshire branch of the Imperial War Museum. Following on from the success of last year’s popular display of 12 Supermarine Spitfires, this year, the famous Duxford Aerodrome is playing host to a unique collection of Hawker Hurricanes, the unsung hero of the Battle of Britain. The exhibition brings together seven unique and airworthy examples of the Hurricane alongside examples of the Hawker Fury, Nimrod and Hart biplanes – all of which provided the blueprint for the monoplane Hurricane.

During the Battle of Britain, Hurricanes outnumbered Spitfires consistently by two to one. Designed by Sydney Camm, the chief designer at Hawker Aircraft Ltd, the Hurricane would prove to be the workhorse of Fighter Command. With the dawn of the 1930s, the Air Ministry decided to issue a specification for a new high-speed monoplane fighter. These new fighters would require the capability to fly at 250mph while armed with four machine guns. Camm initially presented two designs to the Air Ministry, but both were rejected due to their cautious approach. Undeterred, and without any government backing, he decided to pursue his designs further. The result was the ‘Fury’ monoplane, a development of Camm’s earlier Fury biplane.

The Fury monoplane was ready for flight when the Air Ministry released a revised specification for the new fighters. They would now need to carry eight machine guns instead of four. Rather than allow for a complete overhaul, Camm simply fitted a new pair of wings capable of carrying the extra weight. The Hurricane was born. Despite the hundreds of hours invested in its design, the Hurricane retained many features of its biplane forefathers. It had a wooden frame constructed around a wire-based framework of metal tubes. Over this was stretched fabric, painted thickly with lacquer to stiffen, and protect it.

This marriage of old and new was ingenious. The Hurricane was economic, easy to produce and easy to maintain. Its fabric and wooden frame was less susceptible to enemy cannon fire than all-metal constructions. Shells would simply pass through instead of exploding on impact. Moreover, the Hurricane was easy to repair. RAF mechanics were already well trained in how to service aircraft of its more old-fashioned construction. By contrast, the stressed-metal construction of the Spitfire required skilled training.

The Hurricane was also extremely effective in battle. Its eight guns were fixed as two groups of four as close as possible to the fuselage. This made it perfectly suited to tackling the waves of German bombers it would soon be faced with. The first protype, K5083, flew at Brooklands on 6 November 1935. It was piloted by George Bulman, Hawker’s chief test pilot. Bulman was impressed by how easy the aircraft was to fly. Seven months later, the RAF placed an initial order for 600 Hurricanes. The most numerous RAF fighter during the Battle of Britain, the Hurricane equipped 33 squadrons by September 1940.
During the battle, Hurricanes accounted for 656 German aircraft shot down – more than the Spitfire’s total of 529. Between 30 July and 16 September 1940, 404 Hurricanes were destroyed.

The exhibition features four Mk I Hurricanes (P3717, V497, P2902, R4118), a Mk IIa Hurricane (5711, marked as R4175) and a Mk IIb Hurricane (1374, painted as BE505). The later of which has recently been fitted out as a two-seater and can be booked for passenger flights. The Shuttleworth Collections Sea Hurricane (Z7015) will join the collection in the new year once maintenance is complete. Alongside the Hurricanes you can also see Hawker Fury Mk I (K5674) and the unrestored airframe of a Hawker Hind (L7181). You can also see the Imperial War Museums own Mk Ia Spitfire offering a comparison between the two iconic fighters. Currently, a Hawker Nimrod is filling the space that will eventually be occupied by the Sea Hurricane.

To learn more, visit Hurricane: Unsung Hero, opening 27 December 2022 at IWM Duxford. Also, look out for several celebratory events around the exhibition, including a day with Airfix on 15 January, an evening photoshoot on 4th February and a full day of Hurricane history for the Hurricane Conference on 18 February. Check out the Imperial War museums website for further details;
https://www.iwm.org.uk/events/Hurricane-unsung-hero

The RAF Museum is delighted to announce that we have been granted the Royal Charter in our 50th birthday year.

On Monday 12th December,  the Representative Deputy Lieutenant for the London Borough of Barnet, Martin Russell and the RAF Museum Chair, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier, formally unveiled our Royal Charter, which is now on public display in our newly refurbished entrance to our Hangar 3 entrance at London.

The Royal Charter was granted by Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who also officially opened the Museum in 1972.

Maggie Appleton, Chief Executive Officer, RAF Museum said:
‘It is a great honour to have been granted a Royal Charter by Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. All the Museum team – Trustees, staff and volunteers – are incredibly grateful for this recognition. We are inspired even further to fulfil our dual role as a National Museum and community resource and partner, collecting and sharing globally significant stories for and with everyone.’

What is a Royal Charter?
A Royal Charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch which confers an independent legal personality on an organisation and defines its objectives, constitution and powers to govern its own affairs. Incorporation by Charter is a prestigious way of acquiring legal personality and reflects the high status of that body.

Only pre-eminent leaders in their field are granted this honour and Charter status provides an appropriate governance structure for the future and is an affirmation of the national importance of the Museum.
According to the Privy Council there are now over one thousand Royal chartered bodies. The first ever organisation to receive a Royal Charter was the Weavers Company in 1155. This year, the RAF Museum became the 1,038th company to receive their charter. Other famous fellow chartered bodies include the BBC, the British Red Cross and the Honourable Company of Air Pilots.

How did the Museum receive the Royal Charter?
The Royal Charter was granted to the Museum in recognition of its objectives to educate and inform the public and members of the RAF about the history and traditions of the RAF; and
the role of the RAF in relation to the armed forces of the realm, other air forces and aviation.

Applications for a Royal Charter take the form of a formal Petition to The Sovereign in Council. The Museum’s own petition included signatures from five previous RAF Chiefs of Air Staff
Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Johns (1997-2000); Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy (2006-2009); Air Chief Marshal Sir Andy Pulford (2013 – 2016); Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier (2016-2019) and Air Chief Marshal Mike Wigston – Chief of the Air Staff incumbent.

Original support was given by the Museum’s former Royal Patron, His Late Royal Highness Prince Philip.

www.rafmuseum.org

The Royal Air Force Museum is delighted to announce it has been awarded investment from The National Lottery Heritage Lottery Fund for its Inspiring Everyone: RAF Museum Midlands Development Programme.

This ambitious project will deliver a major regional engagement programme, alongside a site transformation. An immersive exhibition will explore today’s RAF, a new Learning Centre will provide bespoke facilities, and a purpose-built Collections Hub will enable the Museum’s stored collection to be shared with the public for the first time. The complementary development of a woodland landscape and new public realm will encourage outdoor learning, discovery, and contemplation.

The transformation will be underpinned by, and feed into, activities that welcome more of our communities to use the RAF Museum and RAF Story as a resource, enabling us to play a more impactful role across the Midlands. The project has been designed with inclusion at its heart, with a multi-strand engagement programme that has opportunities for co-creation throughout, helping us engage with a wider range of visitors and ensure our offer is relevant for everyone.

The project will also support the Museum to achieve its commitment to Carbon Net Zero by 2030. Throughout the programme, we will learn alongside the RAF, working with their environmental think tank to invest in sustainable technologies and operations.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s investment is a significant contribution towards the Museum’s fundraising campaign for the project, and will enable the Museum to progress plans, working with local communities to develop partnerships, programming and designs for the new spaces and exhibitions.

To deliver our vision of ‘Inspiring everyone with the RAF Story’, the Museum’s bold plans include delivery of a new innovative nationally relevant exhibition focusing on the critical role of the RAF over the past 40 years. Engaging and interactive displays will invite visitors to discover more about the RAF’s mission today and how the service will need to adapt in the future. Artefacts ranging from aircraft to films will be selected with community partners and multisensory display interpretation will be developed through co-design. By engaging audiences with wide ranging interests and backgrounds in the development process, the Museum will deliver storytelling that better reflects the diverse communities across the region.

A purpose-built Collections Hub will enable the Museum to conserve and care for more than 65,000 objects, currently held in storage offsite. The Collections Hub will provide an opportunity to share the stored collections with visitors for the first time, supporting a broad programme of engagement and skills-sharing with activities including conservation, research, digitisation, and collections-inspired creative sessions. One of the first uses of the Hub will be as a venue for volunteering, preparing objects for the new exhibition.

Working closely with young people and partners, the Museum will design a new Learning Centre with bespoke facilities dedicated to the development and delivery of lifelong learning programmes, with an increased capacity to engage with a wider audience than ever before. The new learning spaces will enable exploration, discovery and debate, and ignite visitors’ curiosity, both in STEM subjects as well as art, history and design. Learning programmes will support the development of new and existing skills while improving the wellbeing of participants through targeted activities onsite in the new centre, outreach activities and online.

The visitor experience will be enhanced with a new woodland area and public realm, to encourage outdoor learning, discovery, and contemplation. The new greener landscape will provide an opportunity for carbon capture, increasing biodiversity and creating spaces where visitors, staff and volunteers can improve their physical and mental health while supporting the Museum’s Carbon Net Zero target of 2030.

RAF Museum CEO, Maggie Appleton said:
‘I’d like to thank The National Lottery Heritage Fund on behalf of all our staff, volunteers and Trustees for the generous support they have given us – we could not be happier! We’re one step closer to our ambitious plans becoming a reality, made possible thanks to National Lottery players. Over the coming months we will continue to work closely with our local communities to develop the project, ensuring we deliver spaces that will make a vital and positive change to people’s lives across the Midlands and beyond.’

The project will be supported by a number of funders including The National Lottery Heritage Fund, as well as the RAF Museum’s own investment. The National Lottery Heritage Fund has generously supported the RAF Museum’s application for £5m at first round towards its £22.1m RAF Museum Midlands Development Programme. The Museum will now enter into a development phase, before building work commences in early 2025, and is expected to be complete by summer 2027.

To find out more about the redevelopment project and how you can get involved, visit www.rafmuseum.org/midlands. The Museum is open daily from 10am and admission is free.

On the weekend of 11th/12th February 2023 it will be forty (40) years since Avro Vulcan XM594 landed (actual landing date 07.02.83) on the former wartime runway at Winthorpe Showground to go on display at the Newark Air Museum, 2023 it is also the 60th anniversary of its entry into RAF service.

To mark the anniversary, the museum trustees will allow members of the museum’s Cockpit Opening Team to provide FREE cockpit access to the Vulcan on the weekend – this will be available for visitors who pay to come into the museum and who advise the museum in advance of their plan to participate.

The museum will be open from 1000 to 1600 hours, with last admissions to the site being at 1500 hours. Admission costs to the museum site are: Adults £10.00, Over 60s £9.00 and Children £5.50.

The museum trustees anticipate that this will be a popular event, so to try and ensure that people have sufficient time inside the cockpit and that they are not waiting around outside, they are implementing a timed ticket system for going on board Vulcan XM594.

To help the museum formulate the timed ticket schedule they need to hear from people who plan to visit on the weekend and we would ask them to email in the following bits of information by 1600 hours on 1st February 2023: Estimated arrival time and The likely number of people in your group & their approximate ages

Once this information has been submitted the museum will draw up the timed visit schedule for people to go on board XM594 and notify people of their allocated time. The museum does reserve the right to close the offer before the stated date if the uptake is so great that it cannot cope with the number of visitors requesting the free access to the Vulcan. Further details will be posted on the News & Information page of the museum website at www.newarkairmuseum.org

Please be aware that because of the restricted space in the cockpit the Vulcan can only take 3-4 people at a time; please also be aware that access to the Vulcan is also dependent on a height restriction and visitors to the aircraft will have to be at least 1.00m (one metre) in height.

If you would like to look inside the Vulcan for FREE on the weekend please send the museum an email with the requested information via admin@newarkairmuseum.org to indicate your interest, and please state “FREE Vulcan 40th Anniversary Visit” in the subject / topic section of your email.

In addition, a series of talks by ex-Vulcan aircrew is planned to take place throughout the weekend – further details will follow.

Of course a donation towards museum funds would always be appreciated for anyone taking part in this activity!!

www.newarkairmuseum.org

In celebration of the Royal Air Force Museum’s 50th Anniversary, five artefacts spanning five decades have been made available for adoption. The new anniversary artefacts have each been chosen by a Curator to tell the story of the Museum and its early years, including two objects with a special Royal connection.

A remarkable piece of footage showing Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II officially opening the Museum is the first of five new artefacts in the adoptable collection. Filmed by one of the Museum’s first curators on the 15 November 1972, the footage shows Her Majesty arriving at the Museum, signing the guest book, and unveiling a commemorate plaque. The plaque remains on display at the Museum’s London site to this day and the film of the Royal visit is part of the Museum’s digital collection.

The pen used by Her Majesty to sign the visitor book on the Museum’s opening day is now available for adoption. An ornate silver quill pen had been acquired for the occasion, but hours before the Royal opening a message came from Buckingham Palace advising the Queen did not use quill pens. The Officer in charge of the ceremony quickly found a replacement pen in the Officer Commanding RAF Hendon’s office. This inconspicuous pen, used by Her Majesty on the day was never used again and is kept in the Museum’s reserve collection, at Stafford.

Found in the Museum’s archive collection is a photograph album complied by RAF personnel showing the last days of RAF Hendon and the beginnings of the RAF Museum London. The photographs capture the station’s role changing, including the removal of the original entrance to RAF Hendon, and a visit from the Duke of Edinburgh, the Museum’s former patron, during the construction phase. This unusual adoption provides an extraordinary photographic account of the landscape changing into what we recognise today, and a tantalising insight into the Museum’s history.

To mark the Museum’s 50th anniversary a new art exhibition ‘To the Stars’ opened in London. Included in this is Cyril Power’s Lino Cut ‘Air Raid’ a visual representation of a dog fight, and of Power’s service in the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War. This adoptable artefact is one of the first artworks acquired by the Museum’s inaugural director, John Tanner, in the mid 70s.

The fifth anniversary artefact is the Bouton Paul Defiant, the sole surviving example of its type. The aircraft was part of the original displays at the RAF Museum London when it opened in 1972. It has since moved to the Museum’s Midlands site, which is a fitting home for an aircraft manufactured in Wolverhampton. The Defiant was a two-seat turret fighter which operated?with mixed fortunes during the Battle of Britain period. It found it’s niche as a night fighter in the 1940-42 period, as well as extensive use later in the war for air-sea rescue and target tug roles in the UK and Middle and Far East.

Ella Hewitt, RAF Museum Individual Giving Manager said:
‘There are so many wonderful objects that could have told the story of the Museum, it was difficult to choose five. The artefacts we selected show a really nice cross section of our story and the breadth of our collection. We have something from our Archives, an item from our store in Stafford, a digitised piece of film, something from our new art exhibition and lastly, an aircraft that has been on display at both sites.’

Adoptees will all receive a 50th anniversary edition digital photo, certificate, online recognition with a personalised message, and exclusive updates throughout the year.

Adopt an Artefact highlights a selection of iconic and unusual objects from the Museum collection which span more than a century of aviation and RAF history. Starting at £25.00, adoptions last 12 months from the date they are adopted. People can browse the items and adopt online at www.rafmuseum.org.

Date: Sunday 13 November
Time: 10.30am arrival / 10.45am service commences
Cost: FREE

The Royal Air Force Museum Midlands will hold a Service of Remembrance on Sunday 13 November, paying respect to those service men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice during their tours of duty.

Visitors who wish to reflect and pay their respects are invited to join the service, led by RAF Cosford Station Chaplain Rev (Sqn Ldr) John Mbayo. The Service will be supported by RAF Cosford personnel and include readings, with a bugler sounding ‘The Last Post’, followed by two minutes of silence.

Those attending will also enjoy hymns on arrival and throughout the service courtesy of the Cosford Military Wives Choir. During the service, a selection of poems written by local children will be read aloud, with many more poems displayed on a remembrance wall for guests to read and reflect. Wreaths will be laid at the end of the service, in honour of those who have fallen in the line of duty.

The Remembrance Service will take place in the Museum’s Hangar 1 against a backdrop of aircraft, and free tickets for up to 300 guests are available to book in advance at rafmuseum.org/midlands. Visitors are politely requested to assemble no later than 10.30am ready for the Service to commence at 10.45am. Visitors are also encouraged to take time to explore the Museum at their own leisure after the service.

In the build up to Remembrance Sunday, visitors to the Museum are invited to contribute a personal act of remembrance by writing a message that will feature in a display at the Museum over the remembrance period.

The Museum is open daily from 10.00am and admission is free. Discover more about the Museum and pre-book your arrival time online at www.rafmuseum.org.

The RAF Museum Midlands is delighted to announce it has officially achieved the highest accreditation awarded by the VisitEngland Visitor Attraction Quality Assessment Scheme: the Gold Award.

The honours are designed to celebrate excellence within the visitor attraction sector and are available to members of the Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme who represent a wide range of tourism experiences in England.

The RAF Museum is proud to be one of only 30 visitor experiences to receive the highest honour in the 2021-2022 awards, where a total of 97 businesses across the country were recognised for going the extra mile to provide a high-quality day out. Accolades are given for five categories: Welcome, Best Told Story, Quality Food & Drink, Hidden Gem, and Gold for the overall winners.

To achieve the new Gold status, the RAF Museum scored consistently high levels of visitor experience across a wide range of areas, including welcome, catering and orientation, following the annual VisitEngland Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme assessment.

Alan Edwards, RAF Museum Midlands Operations Manager said:
‘We are thrilled to have been presented with the prestigious Gold Award in the VisitEngland Visitor Attraction Accolade 2021-22. It’s hugely gratifying to have this endorsement and recognition of the efforts we make to provide a first-class day out for our visitors. This award will spur us on to continue making improvements to the overall Museum experience, ensuring that we remain a top attraction for many years to come. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate our 50th anniversary than with a Gold Award!’

Discover more about the amazing things to see and do at the award-winning Museum at www.rafmuseum.org. The Museum is open daily from 10.00am and admission is free.

The home of Concorde is raising funds to sustain and grow its award-winning schools programme over the next 5 years.

Filton, Bristol, 18th October 2022: Aerospace Bristol has announced the launch of Engineering Futures, a new fundraising appeal that aims to raise £500,000 over the course of the museum’s fifth birthday year. Funds raised through the appeal will support the charity’s award-winning learning programme, which has reached over 50,000 school children and young people in the local community since Aerospace Bristol opened in October 2017.

Sally Cordwell, CEO of Aerospace Bristol, said:
“As we celebrate Aerospace Bristol’s fifth birthday and look back upon the achievements of the last five years, it’s crucial that we also look ahead and raise the vital funds needed to sustain and grow the Aerospace Bristol learning programme, which benefits so many young people across the region.

We’re therefore calling on corporate supporters and individuals who care about our engineering industry to support the Engineering Futures appeal and play a part in nurturing the next generation of engineering talent.”

Amy Seadon, Learning & Community Engagement Manager, added:
“Looking back on five years of Aerospace Bristol, we’re proud to have inspired so many young people with workshops like Supersonic Sound, Mission to Mars, Hubble Explorers, and Blast off Rockets, as well as opportunities to work alongside engineers in our Conservation Workshop, and enjoy interactive exhibits, science shows and hands-on visitor activities.

Through the Engineering Futures appeal, we hope to build upon our existing work and enable even more young people to get to grips with science and engineering whilst discovering amazing aircraft and the people who built them.” Aerospace Bristol is a family visitor attraction that tells the story of Bristol’s aerospace achievements from the earliest days of powered flight through to the modern day. The museum is home to the last Concorde ever to fly, with visitors able to step on board Concorde, explore the passenger cabin, glimpse into the cockpit, and learn about the supersonic passenger jet through a show projected on to the fuselage of the iconic aircraft.

As part of Aerospace Bristol’s fifth birthday celebrations, visitors will be able to enjoy a range of events and activities over the upcoming October half-term.

School holiday activities include a demonstration of Concorde’s droop nose on Monday 24thOctober, model flying demonstrations on Tuesday 25th and Thursday 27th October, and the chance to travel to the museum on a vintage Bristol bus, with shuttle buses running between the museum and The Mall, Cribbs Causeway, throughout Saturday 29th October.

The museum will also be unveiling a new Bristol Fighter display, with the wooden frame of the WWI aeroplane suspended above the museum’s existing replica.

To find out more about Aerospace Bristol and the Engineering Futures appeal, visit www.aerospacebristol.org.

The Royal Air Force Museum Midlands has marked its 50th anniversary milestone by preserving mementos in a time capsule, so future visitors can peek into the past.

The time capsule containing memorabilia, messages, and notable objects giving a snapshot of the Museum today, have been buried in the Museum grounds alongside a learning space used by schools. The capsule now lies in wait for its reopening when its contents are unlocked on the Museum’s 100th anniversary in 2072.

The capsule has been built by Museum Apprentices, and contains items from the time of its burial, including a souvenir guide, Museum teddy bear and newspapers. Messages from staff and volunteers adorned on an RAF flag, together with video messages, have also made it into the capsule. With a nod to the Museums 50 year history, items including badges and booklets dating back five decades have been buried, along with concept art and development plans, so those opening the capsule in 50 years’ time can reflect on the Museum’s ambitions in 2022. RAF Cosford also gifted a Station Commanders Challenge Medal for inclusion in the capsule.

Joining RAF Museum CEO Maggie Appleton, staff, apprentices, and volunteers for the burial event, were students from Burghill Community Academy and Leasowes High School, winners of the Museum’s 50th anniversary art and design competitions. The student’s birthday card design and 3D model of the Museum will be preserved in the capsule, along with a 50th anniversary patchwork created by members of High Flyers adult SEN day centre.

Dierdre Cuss, RAF Museum Access & Learning Assistant said:
‘This is all about the future of the Museum, for the staff, volunteers and the young people who visit us in 2072. When deciding what items to include, we worked with local schools and asked colleagues what they thought would be important to pass on to the next generation, giving a snapshot of the Museum at the time we marked our 50th anniversary. I can’t help but wonder how we’ll feel about these items in the future, and what will go into the next time capsule once these re-emerge. This was a great way of marking the occasion and capturing a moment in time that will spark discovery and debate in the future.’

A plaque will mark the spot where the capsule has been buried.

The Museum is open daily from 10.00am, for more information or to pre-book your arrival time online, visit www.rafmuseum.org.

The Airscene 2023 Calendar Competition, which closes at midnight on Friday 30th September received a prize confirmation today from Midlands Air Festival – a pair of tickets will be added to 1st Prize.

The festival runs over a 3 day period at the beginning of June and is described by Airscene’s reviewer Lee Chapman, as the first traditional airshow of the year. Lee opened up his 2021 review by saying “For 2021 the Midlands Air festival returned to its original home on Ragley Hall estate in Warwickshire, a beautiful countryside setting. The striking parkland layout made an idyllic backdrop for both a mass Hot Air Balloon launch, model aircraft flying and a full flying display of aerobatics, barn-storming and historic warbirds.”.

On top of all this there is also fireworks display and an array of ground entertainment. On closing his review, Lee said “This really was a great effort by the team, an excellent flying display, well-organised Hot Air Balloon Launch and an impressive line-up of model aircraft. All this achieved under the clouds of Covid-19, I cannot wait to see what the organisers do for 2022 – I have already packed my tent, I am going all weekend!”

This is Airscene’s most recent review of Midlands Air Festival as due to ill health this year’s reviewer couldn’t attend – to read it in full visit: http://www.airscene.co.uk/airshow-reviews/Midlands-Air-Festival-2021.php

1st Prize in this year’s calendar competition now stands as follows:

Royal International Air Tattoo – pair of public entry tickets for RIAT 2023 (£114)
30 minute Trial Lesson in Ikarus C42 Microlight courtesy of Phoenix Aviation (£105)
Pair of tickets for Midlands Air Festival 2023 (£52)

For full rules and to enter this year’s competition, visit: http://www.airscene.co.uk/competitions/2023calendar.php